Clutch mechanism.



.F.VL. WATEROUS, DECD. J., c. P. au. J. wATBBoUs, LXBGUTORS.

CLUTCH MBGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26. 1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 19H.

#WEA/m? H97 FZPEofR/c/r L. ffl/A TE/ow FP. L. WATBRoUsjDBG'D. J., oV P'. a; 11.5. WATEROUS, BXECUTORS.

o LUTcH MBGHANISM. l APPLIATION FILED AUG. 26, 1912.

.Patented Aug. 11K; 1914.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MTA/5656.

UNITED sTATEs FREDERICK L. WATEROUS, l0F PAUL, MINNESOTA; JANE WATEROUS, CHARLES P. WATEROUS, AND FRANK J. WATEROUS EXECUTORS OF SAID FREDERICK I.

WATEROUS, DECEASED.

CLUTCH IVIECHANISM.

'Specification of Letters Patent. Paflyelltdl Aug. jiji 1914:.

Application filed August 26, 1912. Serial No. 717,153.

To all whom it may concern.'

provements in Clutch Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a clutch particularly well adapted for attachment to a jack shaft of a gasolene fire engine, but also capable of use with any motor driven vehicle or truck, whether a jack shaft is used,

or not.

The object of my invention is to provide a clutch device through which the j ack shaft will drive vboth rear wheels of the engine or trucks ahead at uniform speed and at the same timesuch drive remainingpositive until either rear wheel increases its speed to conform to varying curvatures of roadways.

A further' object is to provide a clutch device which will automatically become inoperative when the rear Wheels increase their speed, as on descending grades, beyond the speed of the engine, and will remain inoperative until such time as the speed of the rear wheel decreases sufficiently to conform tothe engine speed.

A further object is to provide a retarding means for holding back the friction rollers of the clutch de vice when they are released from their operative position.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating the application of my invention to a jack shaft and showing the transmission mechanism between the engine shaft and the jack shaft, Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, showing the manner of mounting the clutch or friction rollers and their position with respect to the operating cam, Fig. 3 is a similar view, illustrating the retarding plate and the spring pressed pins in contact therewith, Fig. -i is a detail view illustrating the neutral position of the rollers, Fig. 5 is a similar view, illustrating` the working position of the rollers when driving ahead, Fig. 6 indicates in full lines the position of the rollers when driving backward, and the dotted lines show the position of the rollers when coasting backward. Fig.7 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of mounting the retarding device and its engagement with the stationary plate to check the movement of the carrier. In the drawing,2represents an outer caslng or housing on which a sprocket wheel 3 is rigidly secured.

4L is a cam keyed on a jack shaft 5 and 6 a cap or cover having a bearing on the ack shaft and secured by suitable means to the casing `2. The jack shaft is driven through a Atransmission mechanism A from an engine (not shown), This casing, the sprocket and the cap 6 are free to turn on the shaft except when locked by the mechanism hereinafter described.

`7 represents a carrier loosely mounted on the cam and free to revolve thereon. This carrier is provided -at intervals with a series of radial slots 8 in which studs 9 of friction rollers-10 are loosely mounted and adapted to slide radially in said slots when engaged by the cam. The periphery of the cam is preferably provided with a series of surfaces l1 corresponding in number to the'number of rollers l0 and having a series of high points 12 between which and the inner surface of the casing 2 the .rollers are gripped to temporarily lock the to pick up the load, Iprefer to provide a retarding device in connection with the roller carrier, which consists preferably of a sleeve 13 loosely fitted on the hub of the cam 4 and having an annular ange' 14 at itsinner end. The outer end of the sleeve has a notch 15 to interlock with a collar l16 that is secured to the housing (not shown) at the end of the cam hub whereby plate. The roller carrier is provided-vvith a series of holes 17 therein in v'vhich-fric tion plugs 18 of cork orother suitable mai-.

springs. Theretarding device will: operateto check the movement of the. loosely mounted carrier and rollers when the casing runs out of contact with lthe rollers, and Will holdthe rollers in proper "position to be engaged by the high points ofthelcam and locked against the friction surfacewhen the cam againovertakes the casing'. AJly suitable means may be provided for mounting the rollercarrier on the cam`- but I prefer to provide annular grooves 20 and 21 on 'the cam on which an annular rilod22'I ony one side of the carrierand a plate 23 on the other side of the carrier are seated, said plate 23 being removable by means `of screws 24 to allow the convenientvmoun'tin of the carrierl on thecar'n and itsremova .thereom. l As indicated in Fig. 1, I providea clutch device at each endl off the jackl shaft and as' this jack shaft extends I'. fro'nnsidey to side of Y' the machine, the'sprockets', when locked'with' .the casing on the shaft Will yoperate at the same speed.' Normally the' friction rollers will bestationary by the' fric'tional contact" of' the' yielding' plugs with the" stationary plateand will remain soz until' the ,revolvingcam moves sufficiently forward to WedgeL the` rfollers between' the inner. surface of th'e'cas ing and the cam, causing the power of the engine to betransmitted to the rear wheels .through the jack shaft, the cam and the sprocket casing. Thediiferential mechanism 4 remains apositive drive and the pack" shaft locked. to .both sprockets will drive' both rear wheels Vahead at uniform speed 'and (simul, taneously. This will continue vuntil such time as either rear Wheel increases'its speed' to conform to varylng curvatures of road-,

Ways. When the rear Wheels increase their speed on descending grades or What is commonly known as coasting beyond the speed a, .,atvvhich they are driven,the differential 5D' mechanism will become entirel [inoperative until such time as the spee of the yrear Wheels decreases suiiciently to 4conform lto the engine speed.l .The differential mechanism Will operate in'substantially the same 'Way on reverse as when driven ahead. I prefer to make all the parts of steel and such parts as are subject to Wear are case hardened.

The o eration of the device isy as follows e shaft or axle, as the case may be,y

will be positively driven and the casing having the internalv friction surfaces will be loosely mounted and Where a `jack shaft is employed Will have drivin connections With the .traction wheels, as y means of the moms; t

the lowpoints of the cams. As soon, hovv-f4 everas the cams arerevolved, the" rollers' Will be'clamped or jammed between the-high I points of the cams and the friction surfaces,

ofthe casings thereby temporarily locking jthev casings on the shaftand causing" thel' .transmission of power froln the shaft ithrough the casings and driving connections,

:t' 'the wheels, thus makingfa positivedrive. -This -will `continue until the machine be ins fdoastingor in making a turn the outer W eel travels a greater distance than the inner one. At such tn ne the casing connected with the louter wheel. Will begin to revolveI faster than the cam through which it is" driven and .its friction surface Will 'move a'vvayV fro'nf ycon?,` gtajctwith the rollers, which Willmve for@ fward slightly until their momentum is f ovei* "comeJ by the retarding devicefand they Will I :then'be carried along vby the rievlvin cam iin 'an idle or inactive position` iiiit'il the slackening of the speed of the l. l'enables fthe' cam to overtake it and a'gaiii'fc t "rollers against the frictionisurface and pick .up the load.- During the idle interval of the rollers the frctionaljretarding device Will hold tlie roller carrie'rilan'd retain. the rollers 1in' their proper position between the high points of thecam,'so that when the cam over- ;takels the'cas'ingthe rollers will be in proper position for clamping and resuming the idriving" operation. I therefore regard the frivctional retarding device as an important ,feature of the invention. The operation on Qreverse Will be substantially the same.

The invention may be applied to various kinds oflmotor driven vehicles and trucks, Whether a jack shaft is used or not, and the details' gf construction and attachment may be modified in various Ways and still be Withithe scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a shaft and a camsecuredthereon', of av loosely mounted casing encircling said cam and having an internal friction surface, a carrier encirclingsaid cam and free to rotate thereon, zsaid carrier having a seriesl of radial. slots therein, clamping rollers having studs titting Within said slots and slidable radially therein With respect to the surface of said cam toward and from the friction surface of saidcasing, said rollers being clampedvbe- 4tween the high points of said cam and said friction surface to drive said casing, and

Emeans `for holding said carrier stationary amp the los when said rollers are released from'. their 4 clamping position.l i v Y 2. The combination, with a driving shaft and a cam secured thereon,` of 'a loosely mounted casing `encircling said cam -and having an internaljfriction surface, said cam having annular grooves formed therein, a

v carrier encircling said' cam and having a rib on one side to enter one of said grooves, a plate secured to the other side of saidcarrier and adapted to enter the other cani groove, said carrier being free to revolve on Y said cam, rollers having bearings in said uously revolving cam havin carrier and radially movable therein toward,

,carrier interposed between said camand casf ing, radially moving rollers mounted in said carrier and operatingto lock said camland' casing together, a s tationary'retarding plate disposed contiguous to saidcarrier and` spring pressed plugs mounted in said Carfrier and engaging said stationary plate if with a yielding pressure and loperating to.,

retard the rotation -of said carrierand roll.- ersl. t

4. Thecombin'ation, witha` shaft and a' "cam secured thereon, of aloosely mounted.

casing and sprocket wheel,- a carrier loosely mounted on said cam and having a series of radial slots therein,vfriction rollers having Vbearings at each end in said slots and on both sides ofsaid cam and held against lat eral movement by the walls-of said slots, said rollers being interposed between said cam and casingand being forced outwardly into engagement with said casing by the revolution o said cam.

5. The combination, with a shaft, and av 'camsecured thereon, of a carrier loosely encircling ysaidcam and free to revolve thereon,a ser.1es of friction vrollers mounted in said carrier and having a radial movement therein', yielding friction Aplugs mounted in carrier and having an'inn'er bearing surface saidcarrier, a'stationary plate with which4 said plugs contact, afcasing eiicirelingvsaidl between which and said cam said friction holding rollers are locked to drive said easing, and a' sprocket wheel mounted on said casing.

6. The combination, with a driving member, and a cam secured thereon, of a driven member having an internalfriction surface, rollers interposed between said cam and said friction surface and having a limited radial movementfa carrierfor said rollers, said rollers being clamped between the high points of said cam and said friction surface to drive said driven member, said rollersA` `becoming idle o-i' inactive when the speed of` 'said driven member exceeds that of said driving member, and a retarding device operating to check the movement of saidrollers and carrier when released from engagement' with said driven member, said retard-V ing device including a stationary plate arrangedadjacent to said carrier, and plugs mounted in said.-carrier and contacting with said plate and having springs for yieldingly them against said plate.

7. The combination, with a shaft and a cam keyed thereon, of a loosely mounted casing encircling said cam and having an'internal friction surface, a sprocket wheel' se- `cured toV said casing `and movable freely therewith, a4 carrier vencircling said ca in, a series of'rollers radially movable in said carl rier and arranged to be clamped between the high points of said cam and said friction surface, said carrier being free to 'rotate on said cam, a sleeve loosely mounted on the hub of said cam/and having an outwardlyprojecting, annular `flange at its inner end adjacent to said carrier, and Ifrictional re- .tarding pins mounted in said carrier and'.

contacting with saidannular liange to check the movement of said carrier when said roll?l ers are -releasedfrom engagement with said friction surface.

.8. A clutch device comprising a driving member having cam surfaces, a driven member, ay carrier. loosely vmounted and encircling 4said driving member, clutch members mounted in said -carrier between said cam surfaces and said driven memberand actuated by said cam surface to lock said driven and driving members together, a stationary member, and retarding device Amounted in said carrier and engaging saidstationary member. In witness whereof, I- have hereunto setl my hand .this 13th day of August, 1912.

FREDERICK L; WATEROUSI 'Witnesseslz -W. HOLMES,

B AAsniv. 

